Scour Critical Bridges
23,522 bridges across the US at risk from water erosion around foundations.
Scour Critical Bridges
Scour is the erosion of soil and rock around a bridge's foundation caused by moving water. When foundations are exposed or undermined, a bridge can collapse even if its deck and superstructure are in good condition. Scour is the leading cause of bridge failures in the US. These 23,522 bridges have been identified as vulnerable to scour damage.
| Bridge | State | Scour Status | Condition | Year Built | ADT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DRAIN | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1975 | 16,094 |
| Pilot Grove Creek | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2023 | 16,000 |
| DRAINAGE DITCH | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1976 | 15,893 |
| DRAINAGE DITCH | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1960 | 15,880 |
| HCFCD DITCH A-119-07-00 | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1992 | 15,840 |
| DRAINAGE DITCH | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1925 | 15,828 |
| Horsepen Bayou | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2008 | 15,828 |
| MASON CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2014 | 15,778 |
| HIGHLAND PARK DITCH | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1991 | 15,740 |
| HCFCD DITCH | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1991 | 15,740 |
| HONCUT CREEK | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2023 | 15,700 |
| TRIB LITTLE BEAR CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 2002 | 15,630 |
| HCFCD Ditch | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2023 | 15,582 |
| Drain | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1942 | 15,574 |
| LANGHAM CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2004 | 15,554 |
| DRAINAGE DITCH | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1994 | 15,530 |
| DRAINAGE DITCH | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1994 | 15,530 |
| DRAINAGE DITCH | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1994 | 15,530 |
| MIDDLE BAYOU | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1978 | 15,470 |
| DRAW | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1965 | 15,427 |
| BUFFALO BAYOU | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1962 | 15,380 |
| SH 99 & Drain | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2007 | 15,336 |
| Tributary to Post Oak Cr | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1984 | 15,335 |
| Post Oak Creek | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1984 | 15,335 |
| DRAINAGE DITCH | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2009 | 15,304 |
| Willow Waterhole Byu | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2022 | 15,165 |
| DRY CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1986 | 15,160 |
| TRINITY RIVER | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2002 | 15,144 |
| IH10WBFR BW8NBFR CARP Y | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1994 | 15,130 |
| STEWARTS CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1970 | 15,104 |
| WHITE OAK BAYOU | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 2010 | 15,100 |
| WHITE OAK BAYOU | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2012 | 15,100 |
| CHANNEL A | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2007 | 15,100 |
| CHANNEL A | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 2007 | 15,100 |
| HCFCD DITCH | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 2005 | 15,091 |
| WHITE OAK BAYOU | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1963 | 15,030 |
| DITCH | Mississippi | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1970 | 15,000 |
| WHITE OAK BAYOU | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2012 | 15,000 |
| WHITE OAK BAYOU | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1955 | 15,000 |
| TIMBER CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1999 | 15,000 |
| BEAR BRANCH TRIBUTARY | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2004 | 14,934 |
| HCFCD DITCH | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1965 | 14,880 |
| LANGHAM CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2004 | 14,855 |
| NEWTON CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2004 | 14,843 |
| COW GULLY | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1931 | 14,762 |
| OCMULGEE RIVER | Georgia | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2023 | 14,750 |
| WHITE OAK BAYOU | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1966 | 14,700 |
| WHITE OAK BAYOU | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1966 | 14,700 |
| MASON CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2014 | 14,653 |
| GEORGES SLOUGH | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1993 | 14,540 |
Scour Critical Bridges by State
States ranked by number of scour critical bridges.
| State | Scour Critical | Unaddressed | Countermeasures | Ineffective |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 3,912 | 75 | 516 | 3,321 |
| Pennsylvania | 2,233 | 45 | 2,187 | 1 |
| Louisiana | 1,302 | 13 | 1,288 | 1 |
| South Carolina | 1,263 | 0 | 1,217 | 46 |
| Oregon | 1,231 | 4 | 1,221 | 6 |
| Michigan | 1,081 | 14 | 1,062 | 5 |
| Nebraska | 962 | 224 | 732 | 6 |
| New York | 864 | 9 | 780 | 75 |
| Indiana | 756 | 7 | 749 | 0 |
| Wisconsin | 751 | 0 | 748 | 3 |
| Kansas | 638 | 9 | 626 | 3 |
| California | 623 | 27 | 562 | 34 |
| Tennessee | 581 | 12 | 569 | 0 |
| Washington | 516 | 14 | 487 | 15 |
| Puerto Rico | 496 | 9 | 487 | 0 |
| Alabama | 450 | 1 | 423 | 26 |
| Iowa | 392 | 3 | 385 | 4 |
| New Jersey | 362 | 2 | 360 | 0 |
| Florida | 357 | 4 | 339 | 14 |
| Oklahoma | 317 | 33 | 283 | 1 |
| Missouri | 312 | 4 | 307 | 1 |
| Mississippi | 301 | 6 | 286 | 9 |
| Connecticut | 279 | 0 | 276 | 3 |
| Minnesota | 257 | 38 | 202 | 17 |
| Vermont | 242 | 0 | 240 | 2 |
| Colorado | 241 | 3 | 238 | 0 |
| Idaho | 215 | 18 | 186 | 11 |
| South Dakota | 207 | 3 | 203 | 1 |
| Arkansas | 187 | 3 | 129 | 55 |
| Massachusetts | 166 | 15 | 106 | 45 |
| Montana | 166 | 13 | 140 | 13 |
| Arizona | 164 | 2 | 160 | 2 |
| West Virginia | 160 | 2 | 98 | 60 |
| Alaska | 159 | 1 | 146 | 12 |
| Maine | 140 | 13 | 126 | 1 |
| North Carolina | 130 | 9 | 105 | 16 |
| New Mexico | 127 | 4 | 114 | 9 |
| North Dakota | 102 | 14 | 87 | 1 |
| Utah | 100 | 6 | 82 | 12 |
| Georgia | 99 | 1 | 81 | 17 |
| Illinois | 99 | 3 | 85 | 11 |
| Nevada | 94 | 0 | 85 | 9 |
| Rhode Island | 94 | 0 | 93 | 1 |
| New Hampshire | 86 | 2 | 78 | 6 |
| Hawaii | 83 | 0 | 82 | 1 |
| Kentucky | 56 | 16 | 39 | 1 |
| Maryland | 54 | 1 | 51 | 2 |
| Wyoming | 51 | 1 | 48 | 2 |
| Delaware | 39 | 0 | 39 | 0 |
| Ohio | 12 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| Virginia | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| District of Columbia | 5 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
Scour Critical Rating Codes
| Code 2 — Unaddressed | Bridge is scour critical with no countermeasures installed. The foundation is vulnerable and no protective action has been taken. |
| Code 3 — Countermeasures Installed | Protective measures (riprap, sheet piling, etc.) have been installed to reduce scour risk, but the bridge remains classified as scour critical. |
| Code 6 — Countermeasures Ineffective | Protective measures were installed but have been assessed as ineffective. The bridge requires re-evaluation and additional action. |
About Scour Critical Bridges
Scour critical bridges have been identified through underwater inspection or analysis as having foundations that are unstable or could become unstable during flood conditions. FHWA requires action plans for all scour critical bridges. Famous scour failures include the 1987 Schoharie Creek Bridge collapse in New York.